“Authorities abusing transgender persons and threatening them when they seek justice should be seen as a threat to all Pakistanis – a sign of the government’s failure to ensure basic safety for all.” PHOTO: NNI
PESHAWAR: The Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia chapter has demanded the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government investigate violent attacks on transgender people in parts of the province.
According to a report released by HRW on Monday, it has been demanded that the K-P government investigate allegations against medical staff and police, as it was reported they failed to assist victims. The government has been asked to pursue justice in cases involving transgender people.
The report quoted various incidents of attacks on people from the community in the province. The latest incident, quoted by HRW, was an attack on Sumbal, a transgender person in Abbottabad district when she resisted abduction and rape.
“The surge in brutal attacks in Pakistan on people who are transgender will only end when authorities signal that they will hold the attackers to account,” Human Rights Watch Asia Director Brad Adams was quoted in the report as saying. “Hospital staff and police need to stop their humiliating treatment of transgender people and start protecting their rights.”
The report read, “K-P authorities should undertake prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations into the recent attacks on transgender people in the province.” It further added the K-P government should also ensure that those responsible for such crimes are appropriately brought to justice. “The provincial government should end surveillance, intimidation and harassment of transgender people by local authorities.”
HRW’s report urged the provincial government to arrange for the police to work with transgender communities and organisations to introduce sensitivity training in accordance with the 2009 Supreme Court judgment on ending discrimination against transgender people and with international human rights principles.
“Police involvement in abuses against transgender people has generated profound mistrust between the community and provincial authorities,” Adams was quoted in the report as saying. “Authorities abusing transgender persons and threatening them when they seek justice should be seen as a threat to all Pakistanis – a sign of the government’s failure to ensure basic safety for all.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2016.
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